Every Tuesday we are going to try to bring to you our best (and hopefully most humorous) stories from the front desk.
Here at Douglas Fir Resort we just love the front desk comments that they receive from some of our guests and wanted to share them with you.
The Top Three For April 20th -April26th
3. How do you turn the fire on?
2. You mean you have no rooms? Not even in the specialty suites? What about the chalets? Nothing? Ok, I'll call back later...
1. Man inquiring about the tunnel in Tunnel Mountain. I drove up and down the mountain looking for the tunnel in Tunnel Mountain but we couldn't find it.
Tunnel mountain got it's name from a surveyor Major A.B. Rogers, when he suggseted to CPR that the easiest path for the railway to take would be the construction of a 275 m (902 ft) tunnel through the tiny mountain. An alternative route north of the mountain was found, which incidentally shortened the railway by a mile, and avoided two long hills, saving the CPR millions of dollars. Surveyor Charles Shaw described the idea as the most extraordinary blunder I have ever known in the way of engineering. The idea of a tunnel was scrapped altogether, but the mountain is still called Tunnel Mountain to this day. The Stoney people had long called the mountain "Sleeping Buffalo", as it resembles a sleeping buffalo when viewed from the north and east.
It's difficult to know what to bring with you when traveling to Banff. One reason for this is that most people coming to stay at Douglas Fir Resort don't realize that we now have:
*NEW HDTV Flat Screen T.Vs
* Plug n Play panels
* DVD player in the living rooms.
We make it easy for families to bring all of their electronic gaming systems with them including:
XBOX
WII
PLAYSTATION
There is an easy plug and play panel in all of our rooms for guests to use free of charge (dont forget to bring your connector cables).
Douglas Fir Resort Water Slides is an exciting aqua park that is complimentary for all guests staying here. Featuring over 100,000 litres of water, this area of our hotel offers two water slides and kiddy pool, hot tub, steam room and a unique games room. Families love it here.
Today I met with the water park staff to learn about what they do on a daily basis at Douglas Fir Resort. First we folded the complimentary towels and prepared for the guests. Then I learned how to keep logs and maintain records of all the guests that enter the water slides. It was a busy day here because our hotel was fully booked and everyone wanted to go sliding. We went down to the supply area so that we could refill all shampoo and conditioner bottles and check to make sure the pool area had stocked up on towels. By this time many guests were already enjoying the slides so I met up with staff to supervise the children and make sure they were safe. Everybody looked like they were having fun.
There was one moment that was quite funny. A mother was at the bottom of the blue slide ready and waiting to catch her child as she came down the slide when in fact it wasn't her child! There was actually a man coming down the slide who was very surprised to see that a women was there to catch him! Priceless.
Thanks to the pool staff for letting me join them on a evening of water fun. I had a good time and so did the guests.
Today I headed upstairs for my front desk duties and met with the Reservations Supervisor. We started the day off with an overall review of front desk procedures and operations. I was able to stand back and observe the smooth flow of all the front desk staff and see exactly how our clients interact with the staff from check in to check out. I noticed a few key qualities that all the front desk staff exhibit naturally towards the guests. The qualities included:
Cheerful outlook
Spirited optimism
Great listeners
Staff always holding a friendly smile
Considering these economic times for most hotels this type of person is hard to come by. I find it really nice to come into a hotel that already has these unique qualities in the guest services staff.
I believe that some of the most effective hotel strategies are those that simultaneously satisfy guests, improve operational efficiencies and generate additional revenue. That is what Douglas Fir Resort has really linked to right here at the front desk.
One member of the front desk showed me how she implemented her very own review guide for celiac and vegetarians in Banff. She has created a list of restaurants that people with food concerns can obtain from the front desk, as well as a monthly review of what events are going on here in Banff. I thought this was a fabulous idea being a celiac myself. I know just how hard it is to come by gluten free restaurants on my own. I could tell that the communications in the hotel have worked effectively and that the front desk has had an input of their very own. The guests are happy with additional touches such as reviews, and suggestions. Many of the guests commented on returning again as well as mentioning about our hotel to their friends.
The housekeeping manager has a spunky, outgoing personality! She really needs to have one when you have 30 staff to keep track of throughout the day. The manager
knows her staff really well and tries her best to keep everyone happy. For
example, she tells me that her staff comes from approximately seven different
countries and they speak five different languages. Whenever she writes up their
room lists for the day she always writes a Thank-you in the housekeepers
language. I thought that was a really nice gesture. She knows everyone in the hotel well
and can say something positive and upbeat about them all.
We left her office and then went upstairs to show me how to do a
final inspection of the rooms. We inspected every inch of the room to make certain that it was clean. She tells me about the housekeeping award the hotel received from
Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association. The rooms are spotless. We visited one
of our new Family suites that have two Double and four Queen Beds in three
separate bedrooms. We inspected the suite to make certain the housekeepers
had not missed anything and checked the kitchen to make sure all the utensils
were counted for. The dinning table was massive and the view spectacular. I am certain
anyone staying in this room would be pleased. In the bathroom the housekeeping
manager tells me about the make-up remover wipes and environmentally friendly
soaps she has implemented into the resort. They’re a real hit with the guests
she tells me. We then reviewed two more room types and then it was time to go back downstairs.
Next we walked briskly to the Playzone because we will
need to try it out and see that it is up to her cleaning standards. I was
really surprised about how big the structure is with three slides inside and a
tree trunk to climb three storeys high. We looked to see if we could find any
dust but it was already so clean. I was out of breath by the time we came
out.
By this time it was almost the end of my day. I did some
reviews of the website and reviews of the rooms and then I was off to go home.
My
first impression was that this resort is incredibly clean. I can see why it is
such a wonderful place for families to visit.
Today was my first day here at Douglas Fir Resort. I was excited with anticipation about what I would be learning. I met with the Accounting Manager this morning. She started out by giving me an overall review of the resort, rooms and chalets. We talked about the 16 different room types available and then we quickly stepped outside for a tour of the resort. She explained to me about what each room type looked like from the outside and showed me all the unique amenities the resort has to offer. My favorite included the Waterslides, Playzone, and the Tennis Court because I am an active person that likes to have fun. I also thought the free wireless internet in all rooms was a great gesture because I hate to pay for internet when I stay away from home.
Along the way we made sure to say hello to any guests passing by as well as introducing me to all the many smiling staff out and about working around the resort. I was then introduced to the Housekeeping Manager. I would be spending the rest of my morning and into the afternoon getting a close look at her busy job. I can not wait to tell you about it tomorrow!
We are excited to be expanding our marketing team with the addition of our Sales Coordinator here at Douglas Fir Resort and Chalets. Anastasia has joined our marketing department as the new media, and online reporting specialist. Her new and exciting role will include updating Douglas Fir Resort on Twitter, Facebook and Travel forums. Anastasia brings marketing expertise to the team, including direct experience in the areas of social media, and online content management. This week Anastasia will be blogging about the daily running of all departments at the Douglas Fir Resort. She will be getting an inside personal look at the daily routines at the resort including Accounting, Housekeeping, Laundry, Front Desk and receiving a full tour of all the suites available here at the resort. Anastasia is looking forward to having you join her as she learns why Douglas Fir Resort and Chalets is Banff’s finest family accommodation.
We welcome her aboard and look forward to working with her to improve our online communications to keep our guests and future guests informed on our resort and Banff events.
The wait is over! Large families, extended families, multiple families and friends traveling together can now book one large hotel suite that can comfortably accommodate up to ten people. Douglas Fir Resort & Chalets is currently building several three bedroom, four bathroom large Family Suites that will be ready for check-in December 19, 2009. Every nook and cranny of these two level, 1350 square foot suites has been laid out with the needs of a large group in mind.
No more sharing! Every bedroom has two beds, a 37” flat screen cable TV with DVD player and private en-suite bathroom with shower, sink and toilet. Each room has its own individually controlled electric heating system. The four piece bathroom in the common area is ideal for bathing the youngest children or having a quiet soak.
There is no lack of space or seating! A full size kitchen, complete with all of the modern necessities of home is located on the main level right next to the open dining room. Of course there is enough seating for ten people around the large dining room table. The spacious living room area on the main level includes an electric fireplace (the latest in green technology with separate heat controls), a 42” flat screen cable TV with DVD player and enough seating for ten people. Enjoy breathtaking views from the private, double balcony from the living room or dining room.
Worried about parking and the additional costs? Included are two heated, underground parking stalls free of charge, complimentary wireless internet, free local phone calls and complimentary, unlimited access to the Town of Banff shuttle bus system. Best of all, the price is based on six adults and children 14 years and under stay free!
Get it before it's gone. Families are nutty for the Douglas Fir Resort. Crasher Squirrel can relate to having squirrelly kids that go nuts over their waterslide and play zone. Parents will enjoy the groceries provided to make one breakfast and a barbeque dinner for the Stay, Play and Cook Your Own Way package.
